Bears vs. Panthers preview Week 1
Here's everything you need to know when the Chicago Bears play the Carolina Panthers Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season.
Video Transcript
The monsters of the midway putting on their traveling shoes to start 2026.
The Hammond Pros No, sorry, the Chicago Bears, with their Madden cover boy leading the way, begin their NFC North title defense.
Iceman!
I told you I got it.
Iceman!
It's a battle of reigning division champs as they are in Carolina to take on the Panthers, infused with plenty of new blood, and hoping Bryce Young is ready to turn his QB amp to 11, Spinal Tap style.
We know what it looks like.
We start fast.
Here we go.
2026 regular season is here, and real quick, if you're anti-AI-produced videos, I have great news for you.
You've come to the right place, because these are still Game Preview Guy Productions, flaws and all.
So don't blame technology for my mistakes.
You know it gets better.
It gets better.
You know it gets better.
It gets better.
Fresh start for everybody, so let's just use our key storylines to watch magnifying glass to preview the opener for these two teams, which, warning, involves a ton of guys whose status is tied to injuries.
But let's kick things off with Caleb and the Bears offense.
Can he get it going early instead of late?
The Iceman cometh.
The Iceman taketh.
We know their 2025 story, Comeback Kids.
You call them the Comeback Kids.
They, they've been in this position.
It is tough.
It's a postseason.
But they believe.
Won seven games after trailing with less than two minutes to play.
Caleb looking to throw.
Going deep.
Searching for D.J.
Moore.
Catch made.
Touchdown Bears!
But for the sake of all the Bill Swerski Superfans' hearts out there, it sure would be nice to maybe put a few games on cruise control in the fourth quarter.
Cole Kmet caught the ball.
Touchdown.
Oh my God.
Williams, Carolina counterpart, up next.
Bryce Young made progress in 2025, but still had plenty of room for improvement.
Quick throw, red throw.
Makes the catch for the touchdown.
A stellar week one performance certainly would do a lot to inspire confidence.
He's got the quarter, he's got the five, the two.
In for the touchdown.
And send a message that he's him, as it might be said in the parlance of our times.
For Legette, makes the catch.
Touchdown Carolina!
Storyline number three, Chicago's beat-up secondary.
They have two new guys doing the S-S-S-S-A-A-A-A-F-F Okay, that's gonna take too long.
Dylan Thieneman will be doing the safety dance for the first time in the NFL.
Rookie Dylan Thieneman is there to help make the stop.
Bears backside dealing with a number of hurt guys.
Corner Tyrique Stevenson was questionable at the time this was being put together.
Kyler Gordon was put on the PUP list.
Safety Coby Bryant out for a while.
Former Bill, Kam Lewis, will factor.
Cornerback Jaylon Johnson is healthy.
It's picked off by Jaylon Johnson.
And rookie Malik Muhammad will see plenty of action.
Guys they'll be trying to contain in this one, Xavier Legette, if he plays, had a hurt foot that left his status as uncertain when we were putting this together.
Jalen Coker and Tetairoa McMillan.
Now throws to the end zone.
McMillan, left corner, makes the catch.
T-Mac looking to build off a great rookie year.
They didn't add any big names at receiver during the off-season.
The California connection.
Bryce Young to Tetairoa McMillan.
This is our first chance to see if holding the pass-catching hand they played last year was the right move.
He's got the 10, the five.
Touchdown, T-Mac.
How much time will Bryce have to connect with those gents?
Chicago also didn't ask for any new cards when it comes to its pass rush.
Big trouble here for- Oh!
Fly ball comes out, and it's Bears football.
They didn't produce a ton of sacks a year ago.
Grady Jarrett has promised to up his game this year.
They have high hopes that Austin Booker will break out.
He, though, was week-to-week due to a groin injury.
He escapes for the moment.
Sanders sacked once more.
And Montez, the one guy they know can make Young sweat, as he's been a consistent double-digit bad guy.
He gets around him quicker this time.
Gets to Mason Rudolph, knocks the ball out.
Bears also hope they're harder to run on.
Linebacker Devin Bush makes his debut, comes off a 125 tackle year with Cleveland.
There's the former Brown, Devin Bush.
So we're already talking about a lot of speed on the defense with some of the players we've mentioned.
Chicago's front will be going mano a mano with a new look Carolina O-line.
They drafted tackle Monroe Freeling in the first, signed former Packers tackle Rashid Walker, plus they have a new center.
Hoping their new group is as adept at keeping Bryce upright versus Chicago.
They didn't give up a ton of sacks last year.
Rolling right.
Now Young rolls back to his left.
Eyes up.
Young throws.
End zone.
Diving catch, Legette.
Back to Chicago's offense.
No more D.J.
Moore.
Xavien Thomas, speed to burn, third round draft pick debuts, joining Rome Odunze.
Oh, my goodness.
He's got a wide open man.
Xavien Thomas might go.
Touchdown Bears.
Luther Burden was trending towards playing, was dealing with a groin injury, so keep tabs on him.
And tight end Colston Loveland, who took over as Caleb's go-to over the second half of the year.
He's almost to the point now where he's saying, "Hey, guys, I'm going to 84."
Who gets the lion's share of looks from that group?
Does everybody get some cake, or is there a Milton who's gonna get left out?
Middle of the field, Loveland catch.
Breaks away at the 30.
Loveland 20.
Loveland end zone.
The ratio of cake to people is too big.
That bunch has a tough secondary to deal with, as Carolina's cornerbacks Mike Jackson and JC Horn come off fine seasons.
Intercepted again.
Picked off.
As do safeties Nick Scott and Trevon Merrig.
They weren't easy to throw on.
A shot deep downfield into triple coverage.
It's intercepted by Merrig.
On the Ocho, the guys in front of them, Panthers front seven, which features some new faces.
The beast that is Derrick Brown has some new playmates, assuming he plays.
He was dealing with a hurt knee late in the preseason.
Derrick Brown, the hit.
And D.J.
Moore- Second-round pick DT Lee Hunter, outside linebacker Jalen Phillips, former Eagle and Dolphin- Allen in the pocket, trying to escape and cannot.
Ball came out after he was ruled down and former Jags inside linebacker Devin Lloyd all make their keep pounding debuts Cook is taken down for a loss To walk out of this one like The Magnificent Seven, they not only have to give Williams trouble, but they have to slow down Chicago's two-headed rush attack, which was pretty potent in 2025.
Yo, I, that like a freak show, you heard me.
I said, "Damn!"
Kyle Monangai had a nice rookie campaign with close to 800 yards rushing, five TDs, 4.6 a carry, but is also on the injury watch list due to a bum knee.
Clears a path to the end zone for Kyle Monangai.
DeAndre Swift, 4.9 a pop, nine scores, over 1,000 yards.
Expect them to get plenty of chances out of the gate.
High kick into the end zone for the touchdown.
Rounding out our top 10, Carolina's rush attack, which no longer features Hinkle McCringleberry.
So Jonathan Brooks, who's been hurt the last few years, is now Chuba Hubbard's new running mate.
Hubbard was dealing with a pulled hammy recently.
They were expecting him to be ready for this game though.
Just keep your eyes on his status just in case.
Touchdown!
This game, more than any other week one game, has so many guys who are on the injury watch list.
So if you see updates, put them in the comments section so others who come after you can see them, along with your score predictions of course.
Chicago has won their last four against Carolina, lead the series nine to four overall.
Predictions from our new look picks panel forthcoming right after we get a taste of their first-ever bout from back in 1995.
Botno at center, Todd Perry back at left guard.
Right guard is Jay Lewanberg.
Williams is at the right tackle spot.
Play action and Kramer on first and 10, back to throw.
Rain falls deep down the right sidelines to the end zone.
Leaping grab for the touchdown!
Sensational catch, Curtis Conway.
Eric Kramer, in his own personal zone all season long, threw three touchdown passes in what quickly became a high-scoring nail-biter.
Call play action, rolling right, Kramer lofts to the right side of the end zone.
Jennings over the shoulder catch.
Sensational catch, touchdown!
Keith Jennings strolling in the right corner of the end zone, hauled it in.
Let's go, let's go, let's go.
Down by three in the final minutes, the Bears were down but not out, and they looked to Eric Kramer to get them close.
He led a crisp 10-play do or die drive that had them at the brink of victory with 38 seconds remaining.
Third down, goal to go on the one.
Straight I formation.
Here's the give.
Green breaks to the right to the offside of the goal line.
Reaches to the end zone.
Touchdown!
